URI_Research_Magazine_Momentum_Fall_2019_Melissa-McCarthy

here is no denying the power, size and influence of the music industry in today’s world. Whether offered by a multibillion-dollar business for mass consumption, or as an artist’s cultural or self-expression, or both, the musical arts offer important tools, experiences and benefits. And it often reflects a cultural moment, an era or a political cause. Indeed, digging deeper into the cultural undertones of music offers a new perspective on historical moments and a new way to appreciate the diversity of the world around us. For Vilde Aaslid, University of Rhode Island (URI) assistant professor of music, it’s another day at the office. She puts musical theory into practice through her work in musicology and music history. Aaslid uniquely works to integrate genres like jazz into studies of musical form and function that are typically only reserved for classical or Western-influenced music. It’s all an effort to make music studies more accessible, approachable and culturally inclusive. Aaslid is preparing to launch that effort in a new way with a book. Currently in progress, it highlights the political intersections of jazz

Fall | 2018 Page 47